Guilty Plea From Rochester Woman Charged With $400K Theft
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester woman accused of stealing more than $400,000 from her church has worked out a plea agreement with Olmsted County prosecutors.
Under the terms of the deal, 64-year-old Patricia Radich today pleaded guilty to an amended criminal complaint containing 8 felony counts of theft by swindle. The original complaint filed against Radich in 2021 also included 4 counts of felony theft, which were dropped from the amended list of charges.
Court records indicate Radich was a CPA and served as the volunteer treasurer for the church for 12 years. The theft of church funds was discovered after the church launched a major fundraiser in 2015 to cover the cost of remodeling projects and went to pay off all of the associated loans in 2020.
The criminal complaint stated that Radich "admitted taking the $183,189.03 over a four-year period. The charges say she admitted to the pastor that she had a "gambling addiction" and spent the money at casinos. A financial audit ordered by the church and found that "checks totaling $422,925.90 that were made out to Radich going back to 2013."
A law enforcement investigation also found "a large amount of funds that were withdrawn electronically and/or at ATMs at casinos." The complaint highlighted a single day during which Radich withdrew $10,500 at a casino, along with several days when Radich made cash withdrawals at casinos for amounts between $7,000 and $8,000.
Radich is scheduled to be sentenced in April. The plea agreement calls for a stayed prison sentence, 90 days in jail, and more than $250,000 restitution.
